Internet at the Everest Base Camp

Kathmandu, Feb. 8: The Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) is expanding internet services to the Everest Base Camp (EBC).

"A plan is in the offing to develop internet infrastructure from Lukla to EBC and in the Annapurna region. The government is implementing this project with an aim of promoting tourism and providing communication facility to the tourists and locals during emergencies," said NTA chairman Digambar Jha while speaking at the Nepal Broadband Forum 2017.

He said that after developing the ICT infrastructure and facilities in the Everest and Annapurna region, the project would be replicated in other high mountainous areas.

"The NTA has held two rounds of discussions with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) regarding the high mountain broadband project. We have submitted a proposal of the project to the ITU," said Jha.

The NTA is planning to lay steel coated fibre optics cable in the Himalaya region. "Such cables are strong enough to resist load and do not break easily," he said.

After the implementation of the project, tourists in the base camp and Annapurna region can share photos, videos and they will also have the facility of live call.

Jha also informed that the telecom sector regulator was planning to provide broadband internet service to the rural household for free for at least two years.

"For the initial phase, the cost will be borne by the NTA or the government. However, the services will be provided by the private Internet Service Providers (ISPs)," he said.

According to him, the National Broadband Policy 2071 aimed at expanding the broadband access with internet user penetration rate to 30 per cent by 2018.

"Village beyond the reach of commercial broadband services will be identified as the basis for targeted subsidy programme to support service extensions to commence by 2016," read the policy.

The Broadband Master Plan has been prepared and submitted to the government.

Jha expressed hope that the government would approve it after revising some of the provisions.

"We aim to make Nepal a broadband nation by 2022, as per the Plan 95 per cent households will have broadband internet connection by 2020. We have started mobilizing the money in the Rural Telecommunication Development Fund (RTDF) for the purpose," he said.

 He said that the post offices across the country would be developed as the Community Information Centre, which will promote e-business and e-learning in the remote districts, while e-governance would be implemented in the government offices at all levels.

Minister for Information and Communication Surendra Kumar Karki expressed concerns towards increasing gap between the rich and poor and rural and urban people.

"We have to develop information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and link it to the national development process," he said.

Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communication Mahendra Man Gurung appreciated the private sector for its self motivation in developing ICT infrastructure and services.

"Private sector has successfully introduced new technology in the Nepalese market. But, we still lack ICT infrastructure which has been obstructing us in expanding e-governance, e-education and e-health to the remote areas," he said.

Chief technical officer of Huawei for South East Asia Region, Michael McDonald, said that the vendors and operators needed to continuously work for innovation and user friendly services to support development.